Update on India’s States: May 3, 2018

Haryana will spend $90 million for water and sanitation efforts; Maharashtra unveiled its Development Plan 2034; the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation signed an MOU to replace 4 million conventional electricity meters with smart ones; the ruling party Trinamool Congress in West Bengal won several seats in the three-tier polls on April 29; Jammu and Kashmir approved the death penalty for those convicted of raping children; and more.

Center – State relations

The central government has notified new industrial development schemes for Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand to boost industrialization, providing cheaper access to credit and interest incentive. The units in the state will be provided central capital investment incentive for access to credit at the rate of 30 percent of the investment in plant and machinery with an upper limit of $750,000. Source:Economic Times

The e-way bill system for the intra-state transport of goods third phase rolled out on April 25, in which the system will become applicable for Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Sikkim, and Puducherry. Source: The HinduIn detail: Government of India E-way Bill Portal

The Union Cabinet has approved a three-year-old proposal to expand Scheduled Areas in Rajasthan beyond three districts, directly benefiting the Scheduled Tribes. The development, which comes 37 years after the previous expansion in 1981, spells additional reservation benefits in direct recruitment in services and professional courses in all educational institutions in the state. Source:Economic Times

The World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved a $250 million National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP) to help rural households shift to a new generation of economic initiatives by developing viable enterprises for farm and non-farm products. A key focus of the project will be to promote female-owned and female-led farm and non-farm enterprises across value chains and enable them to build businesses that help them access financial, markets and generate employment. The project is an additional financing to the $500 million National Rural Livelihoods Project (NRLP) which is currently being implemented across 13 states, 162 districts, and 575 blocks. While these 13 states will continue to be supported under the new project approved, 125 new districts will be added from within these states, which are expected to increase the reach of the project to another 5 million rural households. Source:Devdicourse, In detail:Press Release

With an objective of taking the digital revolution to rural masses, the Andhra Pradesh government has entered into an agreement with Mastercard to further boost the fintech ecosystem in the state. Source:The Hans IndiaIn detail:Mastercard Press Release

Gastrotope, the agrifood startup accelerator founded by Taizo Son’s Mistletoe, Rajesh Sawhney, and Infobridge, has signed an agreement with the Government of Andhra Pradesh to create a Farm to Fork ecosystem in Visakhapatnam (Vizag). The two partners will now collaborate to provide the necessary infrastructure such as test fields for agriculture, an incubation space, and an acceleration program which has committed to investing $10 million in ten start-ups in 2018. Source:Inc42

Nothing critical to report this week.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has increased prices in parking lots 50 percent starting May 1 after a gap of five years in view of higher charges levied by the city’s civic agencies. Source:Live Mint

Nothing critical to report this week.

The Haryana government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) for setting up a biomethenation plant in Faridabad. The plant will produce cooking gas and compost from organic waste. Source:Times of IndiaIn detail:Government of Haryana Press Release

Sewerage, drinking water supply, and drainage systems will be improved in Haryana by spending $90 million on nine projects in seven towns under the second phase of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme. Source:Business Standard

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said power tariffs will be reduced for small and medium enterprises having connection below 20 kilowatt, effective from May 1. Source:Economic Times

Nothing critical to report this week.

India has signed a $210 million loan agreement with the World Bank to improve rural connectivity in Madhya Pradesh, the Union Finance Ministry said. The project will cover a 6,530 mile stretch of rural roads in Madhya Pradesh that fall under the Chief Minister’s Gram Sadak Yojana (CMGSY) program. Of this over 6,200 miles will be upgraded from existing gravel to bituminous surface roads, while 316 miles of new roads will be built to the same bituminous surface standard. Source:Economic Times In detail:Press Release

The Maharashtra government unveiled the much-awaited Development Plan (DP) 2034 for Mumbai, paving the way for the space-starved city to have more land available to build homes and commercial spaces. Source:Financial Express In detail:Draft Development Plan -2034

The state government has decided to reduce the annual lease rent by half for cooperative housing societies situated on government-owned plots in Mumbai. This will also be applicable to individuals holding government plots of not more than 5,300 square feet, being used for residential purposes. Additionally, the annual lease of government plots being given for social, cultural, charitable and religious purposes will be reduced by more than half from the existing rates. However, according to the state cabinet decision, lease rates of plots being used for commercial and industrial remain the same. Source:Hindustan Times

State discom MSEDCL has given a big boost to solar power in state by deciding to buy 2,000 megawatts (MW) for the next 25 years; this power will come from new solar plants. Source:Times of India

The government of Maharashtra signed an MOU with the British Council to strengthen educational and cultural cooperation between the two nations. Source:Economic Times

Nothing critical to report this week.

A $14.6 million plan for setting up online trading platform for agricultural produce in select regulated market yards and Agricultural Producers’ Cooperative Marketing Societies (APCMS) was given the go-ahead by the Tamil Nadu government last week. The Government Order of April 20, approved the project proposed by the State Agricultural Marketing and Agri Business Board envisaging e-trading platform in 15 regulated markets spread across 10 districts. Source:The Hindu Business Line

Nothing critical to report this week.

The Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation (UPPCL) signed an MOU to replace 4 million conventional electricity meters with smart ones. This move of UPPCL, in association with Energy Efficiency Services (EESL), seeks to address the state’s power woes and ensure customer convenience. Source:Financial Express

Surcharge on power for farmers has been waived off with immediate effect, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath announced. He also said that the state government was working on an action plan under which closed factories, projects and industries would be revived so that they can usher in development and create employment. Source:Economic Times

Uttar Pradesh is readying to expand its network of highways by another 316 miles by 2021 to nearly 890 miles, the longest in the country, following the decision of the Yogi Adityanath government to finalize the alignment of three new expressways to Bundelkhand, Gorakhpur, and Allahabad. Source: Economic Times

The ruling party Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal won several seats in the three-tier panchayat polls on April 29, after the State Election Commission (SEC) released the list of uncontested seats. The election to the remaining seats will be held on May 14. Source:The Wire

Best of the Rest

Jammu & Kashmir

The Jammu and Kashmir cabinet approved the death penalty for those convicted of raping children. The move comes three days after the Union cabinet approved similar punishment for child rape convicts in the wake of the uproar over the rape and murder of an eight-year-old Bakerwal girl in Kathua. Source: Indian Express

Odisha

The State Government has formulated new regulations to control vector-borne diseases. The Odisha Epidemic Diseases (Malaria, Dengue and Japanese Encephalitis) Regulations, 2018 aims at monitoring the management of diseases. The new regulations prescribe procedures to be followed in case of suspicion and confirmed cases; doctors in government health institutions and registered practitioners in private hospitals or clinics are required to get the blood slides prepared for each case of fever reported apart from the currently adopted procedure of Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) for malaria. Source:New Indian Express